Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Beguiled

Dominus had a terrible feeling about this trip. The nagging feeling is partly because they have been traveling an almost empty road since morning.

Almost as if someone made sure there will be just them. The quietness of it all irks him as he glanced at the carriage where the queen is in.

He urged his stallion forward and lowered his head painfully so just to take a glimpse of the queen inside. As if to assure himself that she is fine and nothing is amiss with her.

“My queen, are you doing fine? Do you need to rest a bit? Do you need of water, wine, any provisions?” he asked the queen who looked at the carriage’s window and smiled.

“Yes, Sir Dominus. I am fine, please don’t worry,” she tried to assure her, a soft smile across her cheeks that made Dominus feel like he had seen the sun again after a few hours of rain.

“I think it is too quiet here, try to be alert my queen. I sense danger is brewing behind the silence,” he reminded her as he sniffed her faint smell of wild roses.

Just then arrows struck the caravan, making some of the knights fall dead from their horses. The horses were all in disarray and the whole brigade was thrown into chaos.

.....

Using his javelin he twirled around, Dominus was able to protect the queen’s carriage. He knew he couldn’t protect her a few whiles from now as arrows come whooshing in non-stop.

“My queen, I’ll have to take you away from here,” he told her using the calmest voice he can manage.

“I want you to open your carriage door and jump,” he said, instructing her on what she must do.

“Ju-jump?” the queen stuttered as fear gripped her heart, there is no way she can survive the fall as the horses are now running at a fast pace.

“Yes. I will catch you. Trust me,” his golden hair burned bright as the sunlight passed through it, almost as if reflecting the sun itself.

“I trust you,” she assured him. It was him so she can believe even if he ask for the impossible. She knows this now, even in the short period they have met, he is that one person she can believe in.

She opened her carriage door and without hesitation, jumped in. She closed her eyes and opened them only when she felt his steel-like arms grip her tightly across his chest.

His stallion was running fast away from the chaos as the arrows chase them but she didn’t fear anything. She knew she was safe.

A few minutes more and the arrows stopped swooshing in the air as the horse went on a steady speed. She realized now how close he was holding her across his chest, his muscular thighs pressing against her shorter and much softer ones.

She blushed as she became aware of the heat radiating from his body and the hard muscles pressed against her soft form making her heart race.

From this distance, she can even smell him, a manly scent of cedarwood and spice. She gulped when she realized she has been occupying her mind with these thoughts even when they barely escaped a death trap.

“I am sorry about this,” she chose to break the silence and apologized.

“Sorry for what?” Dominus asked, not understanding a thing about what the queen can possibly be sorry for.

“For risking your life again, protecting me,” she explained, trying not to be conscious of how close their bodies are, pressing against each other as the horse continued to gallop.

“I already told you, it is my duty to do so. Stop apologizing to me, my queen, I don’t deserve it,” he whispered in her ear, his hot breath fanning her neck which made her bite her lower lip as blood rushed into her core.

She kept silent, only because she fear the way she feels will be obvious in her voice.

“Don’t worry about it, from now on. Don’t worry about me at all. You are all that matters, as long as I can keep you safe, I will be more than satisfied,” he whispered again behind her ear, unaware of the internal battle going on inside of her.

She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, not wanting her to fall, he pulled her in even closer to himself, their bodies were separated by nothing else but their clothes.

Dominus tried to concentrate on the road ahead, trying to dismiss his body’s reaction to the soft body of the queen pressed against him.

He slowed down the pace to avoid the sudden movements of the horse jolting their bodies and pressing them even closer.

He let out a deep sigh as he cursed the gods again for this sweet torturous movement they seemed to have blessed him with.

The only thing good is his familiarity with this forest. He has been here before as it is one of his tribe’s hunting grounds.

Not far from here is the hunter’s hut the barbarians made for times when the night catches up with them. It’s a temporary sanctuary whenever it becomes too dark for the hunters to return to the tribe.

He looked at the lady in his arms and smiled a bit, she really is beautiful. As the last of the light from the sun hit her auburn hair, he was completely mesmerized.

He has never been beguiled by another woman the way he was with her. She is beautiful and kind, gentle and fierce, innocent, and tough.

He realized there is nothing in the world that ever mattered more to him than her. Thinking she was asleep he carried her in his arms when they reached the hut.

“My queen, I’m glad you are safe,” he whispered and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

He gently nuzzled into her neck, sniffing her sweet rosy scent as he entered the hut with her in his arms.